A number of flexible plastic containers are well known in the art for storing and dispensing wine, soft drink syrup, dairy products, enteral feeding solutions, fruit juices, tea and coffee concentrates, puddings, cheese sauces, cleaning chemicals and many other flowable materials. The flexible containers described above typically have walls fabricated from polymeric films having either a monolayer or multiple layer structure. The particular polymers constituting the container film layers will often vary depending upon the type of material to be placed in the container.
In some instances, the film layers may additionally include an oxygen barrier material layer to prevent contact between such materials and oxygen or other gas sensitive contents. In some applications, the walls of the containers may be metallized, or coated with a metallic layer such as aluminum to prevent incursion of oxygen or other gases. A separate metallized enclosure may also encase the polymeric container.
The flexible polymeric containers generally have inlets and/or spouts for filling and dispensing their contents. The spout typically includes a flange which is sealed to an inside surface of one of the walls of the container. In most applications, the containers are then placed within a corrugated box. The spout extends through an opening provided in the box to dispense the contents. Such packaging systems are commonly referred to as “bag-in-box” or BIB. Bag-in-box systems have enjoyed wide success in a number of industries, most notably for use in containing and dispensing soft drink syrup and other liquid products. Prior art examples of such systems are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,286,636; 4,601,410; 5,647,511; 5,749,493; and 6,607,097 the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In a vast majority of applications, BIB bags are provided with a spout or fitment during the bag manufacturing process. As discussed above, the spout normally includes a flange that is heat sealed to an inside surface of the bag. The completed bags are packed and sent to a separate location where they are then fed into filling machines which uncap the bags and fill them with liquid. The filled bags are recapped and placed in a corrugated or other similar type box. The filled bags are then sent to commercial establishments where a pump is attached to the spout and the contents can be emptied.
One disadvantage of the presently used system is that the attachment of the spout or fitment during the bag manufacturing process is time consuming and limits the speed at which the bag manufacturing machines can operate. Moreover, bags with spouts attached are more difficult to pack for shipment to filling locations and take up significantly more space than bags without spouts. The above mentioned problems result in increased operating and freight costs to both bag manufacturers and bag purchasers.
The present invention provides advantages over the presently used system described above. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.